From time to time I see various posts advocating the use of barbless hooks and during a recent visit to the UK I used some for the first time. However, during a visit to Jones' Pit just north of Hockcliffe, I saw a notice posted by the owners of the pit, RMC, prohibiting the use of barbless hooks. Does anyone know why barbless hooks should be banned there? Personally I am neither for or against them, but I can see no reason for them being banned.

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Seems that some anglers can cause more damage to fish with them.
I think 'lesser skilled' anglers tend to cause more damage whatever hook is used, and to ban them is to remove a useful tool from the skilled anglers box.
Tog

This is a topic that crops up regularly. An increasing number of fishery managers, including myself, are banning or restricting barbless hooks due to the mouth damage they cause, which in with some species can actually lead to fish deaths.

This is what I posted recently on the subject of barbed v barbless:

"I agree with Leon that it's horses for courses and depends on the species/circumstances. It also depends on the size and design of the hooks themselves.

In my experience barbless hooks tend to do less damage on unhooking (especially by inexperienced anglers), whilst barbed hooks can do more damage during striking and playing.

Why barbed hooks cause more damage then is often debated.

Some years ago I was also of the opinion that there should be no differences between barbed and barbless hooks, with for instance each penetrating equally. However, like a number of other experienced perch anglers, I found that barbless hooks were causing some perch deaths. Obviously I was wrong, so what could the problem be?

At the time I was in the tackle trade and so talked about the matter with a hook manufacturer.

They pointed out that hooks often go in at an angle and thus, although the distance penetrated is the same, the point of the hook doesn't always reach that far below the surface of the skin.

However the angle can subsequently change, especially during the playing of the fish. A barbed hook would tend to stay in the same place and at the same angle. On the other hand a barbless one would be more likely to move and thus the angle change, with the point of the hook possibly ending up further from the surface.

Additionally, as barbless hooks can move about more easily, they would be more likely to pierce vital organs anyway.

This suggestion seemed to be a logical explanation.

However, whatever the reason, what to me is more important is results in the field - and these showed that barbless hooks are not the best for perch.

Only a tiny barb seems to be needed, and in fact the pattern of hook I prefer for perch fishing has a miniscule one. In fact the barb on the size 6 is about the same size as a normal microbarbed size 16!

Having said that the state of the mouths of some UK fish is deplorable. This is all too often the case on overfished waters where fish are caught repeatedly, especially by beginners. If I managed a commercial water (God forbid!) I might well insist on barbless hooks for this reason.

On the other hand, an increasing number of specimen waters are now banning barbed hooks.

At Wingham I allow a free choice on the Carp Lake as it doesn't contain perch. However the Coarse Lake does, and here I ban barbless hooks above size 10. In each case I state that I prefer microbarbs.

So if you want to come to the next Forum Fish-In at Wingham, you'll either have to obey the fishery rules or I'm afraid decide not to come!"

Anyone interested in this subject may like to do a search of past topics for "barbless".

Steve,

Reading your post, as I understand it you classify Micro Barbed hooks as barbless. Does this apply in general or to other fisheries/fishery managers or is it simply your own view. In other words, would I be breaking the 'Barbless Only' rule if I used Micro Barbed hooks?

Steve doesn't have a "Barbless only" rule.

Micro-barbed are not barbless, so using them would not comply with a barbless only rule.

John's absolutely right.

I ban barbless hooks larger than size 10 on my Coarse Lake. With size 10 or smaller the choice is left up to the angler. There are no restrictions on my Carp Lake, which contains just carp and pike.

Microbarbed hooks count everywhere I know as barbed hooks. However, in many cases they offer a sensible compromise on waters like mine whose members are all experienced anglers.

The result at Wingham, coupled with very low fishing pressure, is fish that are in well-nigh perfect condition. This has often been commented upon by those who've fished at Wingham, for instance other Forum members on the annual Fish-ins, and more recently by Elton.

Elton had just updated the Wingham website for me so if you're interested in seeing pics of these fish and the latest news please click on the link below.

[ 14. October 2004, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

OK, thanks for that. There is so much to think about in freshwater fishing these days! My fishing is very simple in comparison.

I'm a bit confused here. I started using barbless hooks because I was led to believe they cause less damage to fish. Is this not so? I lost a personal best perch and chubb yesterday, which i'm sure I would have landed on barbed hooks. You know the scenario, trying to keep the line tight whilst scrambling for the landin net. mind you the perch actually jumped and slipped the hook!

The barbed / barbless debate has been going on for quite some time now, and is not really showing much sign of slowing down

Speaking purely from experience, and not as any sort of expert, I prefer micro or whisker barb hooks and use them where fishery rules allow, I feel they hold the fish as well as a fully barbed hook, but are just as easy to unhook as barbless.

Mat